The Brookhaven leader., 1887-09-29

t wv sANaNlN'N's NNN itatNN AoNhiNa Aa'N ~
( thetical reference to the wooden horse,
and that is all o. mile to which you
have referred. To that reply, if con
I fined to narrow limits and with a suth-
cient majority to assure that the meas
! urc rests on the consent of the govern
ed, am IN favor of "local option,
hut if insidiously employed to gain adj
vantage ground for winder operations
then it should be warning against
lurking evil. My remarks had only
that extent.
! According to the reported proceed
ings of the Prohibition convention of
our state, you were of the minority
who opposed making it a state question
and 50 far We wauld appear to agree.
4 Though the constitutional amcnd-
mcnt pending in Texas was the subject
of which my opinion was asked and
given YOU have spoken only of "whis-
XIV traffic" and Saloons" together
with the incidents and accidents of the
canvass in Texas. OF the last it may
be- said when YOU have more expert
cnce in such matters YOU will probab-
lv realize that the defeated party i'll an
election is generally dissatisfied with
the result and prone to complain Of the
manner in which it was effected.
As necessary to full understanding
of the matters in issue, | will quote the
terms OF the amendment referred to ~
follows,
" The manufacture, sale and eX-
change of Intoxicating liquor, except
for medical, mechanicle, sacramento
and scientific purposes is hereby pro-
hibited i'll the state Of Texas.
The legislature was to enact neces-
sarv laws at its first session after the
adoption of the amendment. Fit had
been adopted Il farmer who had vine
yard was not to de permitted TO manu-
tacture wine of his grape; or if he had
an orchard. he was not to be allowed to
manufacture cider of his apples, OF
brandy Of his peaches; or whisky of his
grain, or beer Of his barley and hops.
He could not exchange such articles
through the products OF his farm, for
comforts grown in different latitude
and to be produced at his home.
Fanaticlsm looks through Il reversed
telescope minimizing every thing save
its special object. What though one
should point Il Prohihilionist to the civ
liking, harmonizing, peace-sccuring,
comfort giving effects of commerc up
on the nations, il he thought II inter
tercd with particu!!ariSm would he not
probably answered irrelevant catch
words? The time was then sumpt-
uary laws embraced what shonld be
worn and eaten If We begin the
march Of retrogression where will it
stop? If as already proposed there
should be federal laws TO enforce the
prohibition policy, your recollection
OF war and reconstruction days should
enable yon to anticipate the doings
of an army Of spies, informers and
deputy marshals making domiciliary
visits to insure the observance of the
INV. The moral decay which would
inevitably result from such condition
needs no portrayal. TO me it seems
the plain duty Of every citezen who
loves the liberty our sircs bequeathcd
to us, to check this scheme before it
acquires dangerous proportions. |
hold it to he one Of the natural rights
Of man to do as he pleases with his own
provided he inhicts no injury on anoth
er. To protect the use and prevent
the abuse Of that right, government is
the necessity OF social existence; to give
adequate power and yet efficiently to
guard against the perversion Of the
grant, is the problem which the wisdom
TO ages has but partially solved; hence
the maxem, Eternal vigilance is the
price Of liberty
There are surely better remedies for
agencies against the peace and good or
der OF society than such departure
from our principles Of constitutional
government and community indepen-
ence as would be federal legislation to
enforce sumptuary policy. Father
Matthew found reason and moral sua-
sion such potent factors that his good
work was not Of day but lives after
him in some who took the pledge and
others who have joined the temperance
cietics. These ard all other causes
have so acted upon public opinion and
social habits as to give to the prohibit
ton movement the possibilities it now
has and could not have enjoyed in the
not remote past. Why not trust to re-
ligion and education, to refinement
and science, aided by the laws which
the sanction Of experience, to prevent
the formation of habits of temperance
rather than at the sacrifice OF personal
liberty and moral responsibility to UNI
dertake, by coercieve means the retor
nation of the drunkards? The former
may be practicable; the latter, by such
methods is hopeless
In the letter to Gov. Lubbock, l adj
mitted intemperance to be great evil
but it is the only one which atiicts soci-
ETY. and calls for more active remedies?
The obium habit is reported by Stats
tics to be increasing, ahd sad to reIate,
its greatest rayages are among gentler
and purer sex. Laws exist but fail TO
prevent the abuse. In this prohibi-
ton does not prohibit Are there
not other means? Is there no Peter